In one aspect, the present invention relates to a method for producing multipaneled envelopes which are completely enclosed so as to be suitable for use as balloons. In another aspect, the present invention relates to multipaneled, completely enclosed, envelopes suitable for use as lighter-than-air balloons which can be fabricated by a single stroke from a platen sealer and may have geometric as well as nongeometric shapes.
The fabrication of gusseted containers and packages from webs of material employing platen type sealers, most commonly heat-type platen sealers, has been known in the art of packaging for some time. However, such packaging techniques commonly are limited to the production of bags, pouches and the like which are useful for most conventional packaging operations. In the past, paneled envelopes, suitable for inflating with gases to form inflated toys or balloons, were fabricated by separately sealing each of the panels together. For example, conventional beach ball shapes are made by separately sealing six elliptical panels together and then sealing two circular end pieces at the top and bottom of the spheres so formed.
Thus, while platen type sealing methods have been employed in the past to form packaging articles of fairly simple geometric configuration, the advantages of such a sealing method have not been applied to produce enclosed, multipaneled envelopes for use as balloons, blimps, and irregularly shaped inflatable toy articles. Therefore, a method whereby these kinds of articles could be fabricated from a single stroke of a platen type sealing device would be advantageous. Further, a method for fabricating enclosed, multipaneled envelopes from a material suitable for forming air buoyant balloons for use as toys, advertising materials, and similar uses would be desirable. Such methods would be especially useful in combination with the permanently buoyant balloons disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,588 issued Mar. 7, 1978 and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 864,769, filed Dec. 27, 1977, which are hereby incorporated by reference.